“Not yet. It could be a while.”
“I’ll wait here.” I place my hands behind my back.
His gaze shifts to the hallway before he turns to me and nods. As he reaches for the door handle, I let my hands hang at my side.
“Don’t close the door.” Right now, I didn’t want to be alone.
His lip tugs up ever so slightly, and he releases the handle before turning his back on me.
It seems like I have been waiting for an eternity before lights hit the window, and I race to it. A car pulls up at the door, and the passenger door opens. Lucca steps out, and I don’t know how he knows I’m looking, but his dark gaze clashes with mine. My skin prickles before it tightens and stretches, and I take a step away from the window.
My hand automatically goes to my heart, trying to calm the heavy beat that rattles my ribs.
“He’s back,” I say out loud. Pavel doesn’t answer, but I see the slight nod of his head. The front door closes, and I’m waiting for the sound of Lucca’s shoes on the stairs.
My patience dries up as I wait, and I’m moving toward the door. I’m ready to tell Pavel to move when a shadow falls across the floor and Lucca waves Pavel off. I’m face to face with Lucca. My gaze is making a note of the dots of blood on his neck and the cuffs of his shirt.
He doesn’t move or speak.
“Did you find them?”
“I know where they are. Tomorrow I will get them.”
Tomorrow, why not now? “They are all alive?” I ask instead.
Lucca exhales and enters the room. “Yes.”
I bite my lip to stop the tremble caused by emotions that overwhelm me.
Lucca’s image blurs, and I dip my head, trying to hold back the swell that’s ready to overtake me.
“Lucca.” His name is a whisper as I fight with myself to ask him another question. “Can I go with you tomorrow?”
He’s already shaking his head.
I step closer. “Just let me see them. Let me see they are okay.”
“No.” His answer is sharp as he removes his suit jacket.
“Lucca. I was going to leave them. I was trying to escape that life, and I was willing to leave them all behind.” The pain of what I was capable of doing twists my stomach painfully. “I need to make it right.”
“You did nothing wrong.” Lucca swings around and faces me. “You were right to leave. I just wish…”
The air stalls in my chest.
Lucca reaches out to me like he’s going to cup my face, but he stops himself, his hands falling to his sides. He towers over me. “I wish you had gotten away, Evie. Don’t ever regret trying to save yourself.” His voice has softened.
“Let me come with you. Let me see them…”
He’s shaking his head again.
I ball my hands into fists. “Why?”
“I won’t put you in harm’s way.” His words are quick and low; there is something deadly in them, and my stomach twists again.
Laughter bubbles hard and fast up my throat and pours out into the room. “Harm’s way?” I say through my laughter.
“I’ve been kidnapped, held captive for eight years, and now what will happen to me? Am I going to a brothel or maybe to my death?” I’m caving with pure pain. “What more harm can come to me?!”
What more can they take from me?
Lucca doesn’t answer, and I take another step towards him. “I’m a ghost. I have nothing else for them to take.” I gave the last piece to you.
“You can shout all you want. You aren’t coming with me.” His voice is calm, and I hate him for it. I hate everything about him. Powerful men are dangerous men, and I hate them.
I hate him.
My hand connects with his face, the sting on my palm is satisfying, and I reach out to hit him again, only I don’t get to. His hands grip my wrists as he drags me to his chest.
“Stop it, Evie.”
I try to pull away, but he doesn’t release me. Silver eyes bore into mine, warning me to stop. But it’s too late for that.
“Let me go.” I wasn’t sure if I was asking for him to release me right now or let me go home.
“If you can control your temper, I will release you.”
“We aren’t all as cool and collected as you.” I bite back, not backing down from him. I should think about what happened between us the last time, but I knew I had pushed him to do it. That fear rattles around in my head.
His nostrils flare, and he releases me quickly. He doesn’t step away, and the want to slap him is gone.
“Am I going back to Igor?” I keep my chin in the air.
“No.”
I didn’t expect that. “What’s going to happen to me?”
“I don’t know.” This time Lucca doesn’t meet my eyes.
“Just tell me. You’re getting off on keeping me in the dark.”
Lucca’s gaze swings back to me. He’s looking at me differently. His fingers reach out and cup my face, his touch is gentle, and it disarms something inside me. I don’t want his touch to have such power. I lean into his hand.
“I’m keeping you.” His words are low as he moves his head closer to mine. His gaze roams my face as his words sink in.
His thumb caresses my cheek. His touch reaches beyond the surface of my flesh, and my heart is like a sponge that soaks it up. My eyelids flutter closed as I allow his words to sink in.
“You are keeping me?” I open my eyes. I need to see the words on his lips that are close
